British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 935

CHAPTER XXII.
Councillors

Mr. I. Ben llvi, 111.B.E. Mr. Eden

Mr. H. Solomon Mr. Aboulafia Mr. Elmalek

(Jew)

(Jew)

(Jew)

(Jew)

(Jew)

The estimated population of the municipal area at this time was

Moslems 32,039 21% of the total
Christians 27,849 18%
Jews 92.148 61%
---
TOTAL 152,031
136. No Moslem Arab was elected, under section 48 of the Municipal Corporations Ordinance, or nominated by the High Commissioner, under Regulation 2 of the Defence (Nomination of Municipal Councillors) Regulations, 1038, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Mustafa Bey el Khalidi, Mr. Auster therefore continued to act as mayor until the appointment of the Commission on the 11th July, 1945. The Jews were prepared to accept this temporary arrangement., which left them with de facto control of the Municipal Council. From the Arab side came a series of petitions for the appointment of a Moslem mavor : and articles in the press indicated that Arab public opinion would not for long tolerate an arrangement which the Jews were prepared to accept faute de mieux.

137. Since the continuation of an arrangement by which the Arabs were relegated to a minority could not be prolonged indefinitely and because the appointment of a Moslem to fill the vacancy in the Council would immediately bring the dispute to a head, it was decided by the High Commissioner, with the approval of the Secretary of State, to issue the following instructions to the District Commissioner, Jerusalem:-

"(i) You should inform the Council that His Excellency, in exercise of the powers vested in him by Regulation 2 of the Defence (Nomination of Municipal Councillors) Regulations 1938, has decided to appoint a Moslem Councillor to the place left vacant by the death of Mustafa Bey el Khalidi; and also to appoint two additional Councillors in accordance with section 8(5) of the Municipal Corporations Ordinance, who shall be British, in order to afford the recognition and representation which His Excellency has decided is due to the interests of the Mandatory in the Holy City.

(ii) Having made known to the Council the High Commissioner's decision as above, you should invite the Council to agree to the adoption of a system of triple rotation, the

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